As Ghana prepares for the 2024 elections, the manifestoes of the Movement for Change, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) underscore wide-ranging promises to tackle environmental issues but fail to collectively provide robust solutions to the pressing matter of air pollution. Despite air pollution’s devastating health impact on society, none of the parties offer actionable policies to combat this public health concern.

The Scale of the Problem

Globally, air pollution reduces average life expectancy by 1.9 years, equivalent to 14.9 billion life-years lost worldwide, as reported by the 2024 Air Quality Life Index (AQLI). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) poses the most significant risk, infiltrating the lungs and bloodstream to cause severe health issues. Locally, Ghana’s reliance on an ageing vehicle fleet and limited emissions control measures exacerbate urban pollution, particularly in cities like Accra. Despite this, the 2024 manifestoes largely overlooked air pollution as a priority.

Movement for Change: Sparse Commitments

The Movement for Change, in its 81-page manifesto, does not mention "air quality" or "air pollution" as a major issue that requires remedial action when voted into power. There is no explicit policy targeting air quality improvement or reducing harmful pollutants like PM2.5. Its environmental policies focus primarily on strengthening institutions, including transforming the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into an independent authority (Page 71). While this could improve environmental regulation, the lack of specificity regarding air pollution limits its potential impact.

New Patriotic Party (NPP): A Financing-Driven Approach

The NPP’s 260-page manifesto references environmental issues extensively, including frequent mentions of "climate" (45 times) and "green" (44 times). However, "air quality" and "air pollution" are conspicuously missing. The NPP emphasizes transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) through infrastructure development, local EV production, and tax incentives (Page 86, Section 5.2). These initiatives aim to reduce long-term emissions but do little to address the current pollution levels.

Furthermore, the NPP plans to strengthen the EPA and establish environmental courts to improve enforcement (Page 204). The party's reliance on financing mechanisms overshadows immediate interventions needed to tackle urban air pollution.

National Democratic Congress (NDC): Mixed Signals on Emissions and Taxes

The NDC’s 200-page manifesto reflects greater awareness of the health implications of pollution, with three mentions of "air quality" and 16 mentions of "greenhouse gas." Additionally, the manifesto mentions "emissions" three times but links these primarily to taxation. The NDC pledges to scrap the emissions levy introduced by the NPP in February 2024, citing the need to alleviate economic hardships and reduce the cost of doing business (Page 3, Page 16, Page 30).

Introduced in 2024 under the Emissions Levy Act, the emissions levy aimed to promote eco-friendly technologies and control pollution. It required motorcycles to pay GH¢75 annually, vehicles up to 3000cc GH¢150 and vehicles above 3000cc GH¢300. While this levy was criticized as a revenue-generating measure rather than a robust environmental policy, scrapping it outright without proposing alternative mechanisms could further hinder emissions control.

The NDC’s environmental policies include strengthening air quality monitoring and linking pollution to health outcomes (Page 68). Their "Restore Ghana Initiative" focuses on rehabilitating polluted lands and water bodies (Page 78), but immediate solutions for urban air pollution remain absent.

Common Gaps Across Manifestos

Despite varied approaches, all three parties exhibit significant shortcomings in addressing air quality:

1. Inadequate Policy Detail: None of the manifestoes provide targeted interventions to reduce PM2.5 levels or improve urban air quality.
2. Overlooking Vehicle Emissions: While EVs feature prominently in the NPP’s manifesto, the other parties are silent on interventions to address the aging vehicle fleet that contributes significantly to air pollution.
3. Health Implications: The severe health risks posed by air pollution receive limited attention, with only the NDC making some links to public health outcomes.

Air Pollution: A Global Health Emergency

Globally, air pollution is now the second-leading risk factor for death, contributing to 8.1 million deaths in 2021, or approximately 22,192 deaths per day. UNICEF reports that one child dies every minute due to air pollution. The unequal burden of pollution means residents in highly polluted areas face life expectancy losses of up to 2.7 years more than those in cleaner environments. Ghana, grappling with rising urban air pollution, is no exception to this grim reality.

Party-Specific Summary Statistics

• Movement for Change (81 pages): No mention of "air quality" or "air pollution." Focuses on institutional reforms without specific environmental strategies.
• NPP (260 pages): Emphasizes on EVs and climate financing. Does not address PM2.5 levels or urban air quality challenges.
• NDC (200 pages): Mentions "air quality" three times and "emissions" three times but plans to scrap the emissions levy, potentially weakening pollution control efforts. Focuses on health-linked monitoring and restoration but lacks immediate urban air quality interventions.

Conclusion: A Missed Opportunity for Policy Leadership

The 2024 manifestos of Ghana’s leading political parties highlight an alarming lack of priority in tackling air pollution. While the NDC commits some degree of attention to emissions and health impacts, its plan to scrap the emissions levy undermines its environmental agenda. Meanwhile, the NPP and Movement for Change fail to prioritize immediate solutions to Ghana’s air pollution crisis. As air pollution remains the greatest external threat to public health, the absence of bold, targeted policies raises concerns about Ghana’s preparedness to safeguard its citizens’ well-being.